April 14, 2021 at 7:00 PM - Regular BoE Meeting

Rationale: 

Moment of Silence:

Redman, Denise - Secretary - Business Office – 1976-1998

Donovan Lysaght, Ann Kathleen – Substitute and Teacher - Greene-Hills School – 1948-1986

Rationale: 

1. NPR Podcast Competition - Alan Theriault (Teacher); Students Sophia Palaia (GHS - Grade 8) and Bella Paradise, (GHS-Grade 8)

2. Model UN - John Stavens (Teacher) and Trisha Mohan (Student)

3. Student Recognition for Excellence in Art & Music (See Attached Listing)

4. NCSM Board of Directors Election – Georgina Rivera – Second Vice President

Rationale: 

The Board of Education should vote to approve any Regular or Special Meeting Minutes:

1. March 3, 2021 - Regular Meeting Minutes

2. March 17, 2021 - Special Meeting Minutes/Workshop

Rationale: 

Communications & Community Relations	Finance	Operations	Personnel	Policy	Student Achievement
Shelby Pons, Chair	Karen Vibert, Chair	Eric Carlson, Chair	Thomas O’Brien, Chair	Kristen Giantonio, Chair	Chris Wilson, Chair
Karen Vibert	Kristen Giantonio	Chris Wilson	John Sklenka	Shelby Pons	Kristen Giantonio
Tom O'Brien	Allison Wadowski	John Sklenka	Eric Carlson	Allison Wadowski	Shelby Pons
Alternates:
Eric Carlson	John Sklenka	Karen Vibert	Allison Wadowski	Tom O'Brien	Allison Wadowski

Rationale: 

Student Representatives from Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern will share activities, surveys, suggestions, and topics of interest in their respective schools.

Bristol Central                                                          Bristol Eastern

Madison Laprise – Senior                                            Madison Turner - Senior 

Sydney Rodriguez – Junior*                                        Trisha Mohan – Junior*                                           

Rationale: 

Chair Jennifer Dube will update the Board and the public on topics related to the Board of Education.

Rationale: 

Dr. Carbone will report/update the Board on:

1. District Priorities

2. Update Reimagining BPS 2023

Rationale: 

Minnocci, Gabriele – BCHS – Special Education Teacher - Amended effective date from 6/14/21 to 3/31/21

Tulacro, Jennifer – BEHS – Guidance – effective 6/30/2021

Rationale: 

Ellison Jr., Effrin – BEHS/BCHS – .5 Business Teacher – effective 4/12/21

Mandile, Francesco – WB – Wellness Teacher – effective 3/22/21

Roberts, Tyler – BEHS – Math Teacher – effective 3/29/21

Rationale: 

Teachers trained to serve as TEAM (Teacher Education and Mentoring) mentors and cooperating teachers provide assistance and support to student teachers and beginning teachers in the district. Cooperating teachers are those teachers who are trained to work with student teachers. Mentors must be assigned to first-year teachers to provide mentoring and support to newly certified teachers.  This program is required by the State Department of Education. Principals recruit teachers to apply to be TEAM mentor/cooperating teachers; the applications are reviewed by the TEAM Coordinating Committee. The following teachers were approved by the TEAM Coordinating Committee and are recommended to be TEAM Mentors/Cooperating teachers.  Approved teachers must attend a three day training program and update their training every three years.

Teacher	Assignment
Kaitlyn Timreck	Edgewood School, Grade 4
Jenny Scialdone	Ivy Drive School, Grade 4
Bevin Parent	Mountain View School, Grade 3
Timothy Barrette	Bristol Central High School, Science Department
Michele Gugliotti	Edgewood School, Special Education
Cindy Ahern	Ellen P. Hubbell School, Grade 5
Michelle Cote	Bristol Central High School, CTE Department

Rationale: 

In February 2021, the State of Connecticut released the following grant: CARL D. PERKINS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2006 - 20 U.S.C. §2301 et seq.

Purpose:  The Career and Technical Education Secondary Special Populations Recruitment and Retention Grant was designed to assist eligible secondary Perkins V recipients in designing and implementing a plan for the recruitment and retention of students representing special populations into Career and Technical Education Career Clusters, pathways and programs of study. 

The grant application showcases an innovative approach to recruiting and retaining students with identified barriers (socioeconomic status, EL, minority, special education, etc)  in the Bristol CTE pathways through a summer career pathway exploration program. The program partners a CTE teacher, special education teacher and EL support staff to run a 5 week pathway exploration program. The program includes building students’ career readiness and employability skills and a weekly field trip to a pathway specific business or college program. 

Rationale: 

BACKGROUND:  Members of the public are invited to comment to the Board on any topic related to school business. Items requiring consideration by the Board must be approved as an agenda item by a 2/3ds vote of the Board members present.  Such items may be referred for further study and not necessarily acted upon at this meeting.

Anyone wishing to address the Board should adhere to the following procedures:

Before a Remote Meeting

1. Send your comments to: susaneverett@bristolk12.org
2. Be sure to put PUBLIC COMMENT – BOE in the subject line.
3. Include your name and address.
4. Direct your comments to the Board Chair.
5. Your comments will be read at the meeting by the Board Chair.
6. All comments should be written in an appropriate manner, particularly if concerning a personnel matter.
7. Any comments not adhering to the guidelines will not be read at the meeting.

During a Remote Meeting

1. Everyone is requested to address the Chair for recognition.
2. Each speaker must state his/her name and address.
3. All speakers must observe rules of common etiquette.  Personalities are not to be injected. Anyone violating this rule will be denied the floor. Unless waived by the Chairperson or a majority of the Board,
4. Each speaker shall limit his/her remarks to three (3) minutes.
5. A speaker will not be recognized for a second time on the same topic.
6. Each speaker must concern himself/herself with the topic under discussion.  Anyone digressing from the topic will be ruled out of order.
7. Written statements and materials may be made available, in advance of comments, for distribution to Board members.
8. Speakers shall state their positions on the subject being discussed.
9. Board members will not respond directly to comments during the Board meeting. The Superintendent will direct the question to the appropriate staff member for follow-up.

Rationale: 

Traditionally the closing day of school with the high school graduation date have been set at the April Board meeting.

Based on the summary of closing dates and upon completion of 177 school days*(2020-2021 SY only) the last day of school for the Bristol Public Schools will be set. 

Summary of Closing Information to Date:

                                                        School Closed:  2/2

                                                        Late Openings: 2/15

                                                        Early Dismissals: 1/26 and 2/18

Promotional exercises at the middle schools will occur. High school graduation will be scheduled for the evening of Monday, June 14, 2021.  This date will be subject to change in the event additional emergency closing days are required in the interim to the end of the school year.

Rationale: 

Each year the district must certify full compliance with the program, which means that the Board of Education will offer: 

a) Healthy Food Options: The Bristol Public Schools District and pursuant to section 10-215f of the Connecticut General Statutes, hereby certifies that all food items offered for sale to students in the school(s) under our jurisdiction, and not exempted from the Connecticut Nutrition Standards published by the Connecticut State Department of Education will meet said standards during the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. These healthy food items include food offered for sale to students at all times in all schools and from all sources including, but not limited to, school stores, vending machines, school cafeteria and any fundraising activities on school premises.

b) Exemption for Food Items: The Bristol Board of Education will allow the sale to students of food items that do not meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards provided that the following conditions are met: 1) the sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on the weekend; 2) the sale is at the location of the event; and 3) the food items are not sold from a vending machine or school store. An “event” is an occurrence that involves more than just a regularly scheduled practice, meeting, or extracurricular activity. For example, soccer games, school plays, and interscholastic debates are events but soccer practices, play rehearsals, and debate team meetings are not. The “regular school day” is the period from midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day. “Location” means where the event is being held.

Beverage Exemptions: The Bristol Board of Education will allow the sale to students of beverages not listed in Section 10-221q of the Connecticut General Statutes provided that the following conditions are met: 1) the sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on the weekend; 2) the sale is at the location of the event; and 3) the beverages are not sold from a vending machine or school store. An “event” is an occurrence that involves more than just a regularly scheduled practice, meeting or extracurricular activity. The “school day” is the period from midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day. “Location” means where the event is being held, and must be the same place as the food sales.

Requested approval by the Board of Education is for the 2021 - 2022 school year.

Rationale: 

The mechanicals at Greene-Hills School have been problematic since inception. The Board of Education would like to request that the City Council establish a building project committee to address the mechanical needs of the Greene-Hills K-8 School.

Rationale:  Kimberly Culkin, Director of Special Services will update the Board regarding Special Services programs and topics.

Rationale:  Dr. Dietter will report on information from the Community Forum and MBIAMS programming.

Rationale: 

Employees are to utilize the district’s computers, networks, email system and Internet services for school-related purposes and performance of job duties. Limited incidental personal use of district computers, networks, email systems and Internet services is permitted as long as such use does not interfere with the employee's job duties and performance, with system operations or other system users. “Limited incidental personal use” is defined as use by an individual employee for an appropriate, lawful, brief and occasional personal purposes. Employees are reminded that such personal use must comply with this policy and all other applicable policies, procedures and rules.

The policy committee recommends policy 4118.5 – Acceptable Computer Network Use to the Full Board for approval.

Rationale: 

Online communication is critical to our students' learning of 21st Century Skills and to the communication efforts of the staff.  Tools such as blogging and podcasting offer authentic, real-world vehicles for student and staff expression.  As educators, our primary responsibility to students is their safety.  Hence, expectations for classroom blogs, student/staff protected e-mails, podcasts, or other Web interactive use must follow all established Internet safety guidelines.

The Policy Committee recommends approval of Policy 4118.52 - Use of New Web Tools (Blogging/Podcasting) to the full board.

Rationale:  The Board will discuss any new business proper to come before the Board.

Rationale: 

Any communications/information regarding building projects:

1. MBIAMS Update
2. South Side - HVAC Project

Rationale: 

Commissioners will report to the Board on any groups/organizations in which they serve as Board of Education Liaisons and information pertinent to the Board.

This month commissioners at elementary schools will share their reports.

Rationale:  There being no other business to come before the Board, the meeting should be adjourned.